Lesson 36: “The Desert Shall Rejoice, and Blossom as the Rose”

On 28 July 1847, four days after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, President Brigham Young stood on the spot where the Salt Lake Temple now stands. He struck his cane on the ground and said, “Right here will stand the temple of our God” (in Wilford Woodruff, Deseret Evening News, 25 July 1888, 2). Within one week, the Saints began surveying the new city, with the temple at the center of the survey.

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Why should the temple be central in our lives today?

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It took 40 years to build the Salt Lake Temple. What can we learn from the perseverance of the Saints as they built the temple?

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Read Our Heritage,pages 82–84. What characteristics helped the Saints overcome the great difficulties they faced during their first years in the Salt Lake Valley? What situations in your life today might require these same characteristics?

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In what areas of the world did the Saints preach the gospel during the administrations of Presidents Brigham Young and John Taylor? (See Our Heritage,84–86, 93–96.) What sacrifices did these early Saints make to share the gospel with people around the world?